We're building a new UK-wide service to help libraries collaboratively manage their collections and improve access to print and digital resources

Just completed

The national bibliographic knowledgebase (NBK) will help transform how libraries manage their collections, provide access to resources and collaborate with each other and work towards the vision for a national digital library.

What we’re building

We are working on a national-scale shared service that will build on and surpass the functionality of Copac, which currently aggregates data from around 90 libraries.

The NBK will eventually include catalogue data from more than 225 academic and specialist libraries. By doing so, it will more effectively support the management of library collections so that they are optimised for contemporary research and learning needs.

Progress so far

We’re nearly halfway to our initial target of having 150 institutions represented on the NBK by the end of January 2019 .

We’ve just sent over our 65th institution to OCLC, and we now have a great cross-section of UK higher education and specialist libraries represented (download a full list (Word doc)) including some whose data was not previously available through Copac.

And we have many more exciting institutions signed up to contribute over the next few months.

Looking ahead: key dates

January 2018: 75 library collections will be available

August 2018: 110 library collections will be available

January 2019: full service launches

February 2019: 150 library collections will be available

February 2020: 225 library collections will be available

Benefits

Our ambition is that the NBK will make a positive contribution to the overall quality of data that circulates around the bibliographic data ‘ecosystem’.

Specifically, we believe the NBK will:

Provide a sustainable, next generation national data infrastructure

Support libraries in making the transition from print-first to digital-first

Support the formulation of a more joined-up national strategy around retention of print materials

Aggregate bibliographic data with availability and usage data

Facilitate more efficient access to e-books, digitised books and journals

Improve metadata accuracy, effectiveness and standards across the sector

Positively influence a national approach to authority controls and identifier frameworks in relation to bibliographic resources